Of course. Otherwise I'd be in a deck chair in Weymouth by now. I'd get a lot of fun from it. People are always asking why I'm so happy. It's not because we're taking a year off, it's because we're planning the next one!

Hi Michael. My question: why not drop a great swathe of the big names and have a festival for these double-dip times with lesser-known acts? You'd bring down the ticket prices which are, please admit it, utterly unaffordable for the kind of people who used to make Glastonbury special Plus you'd tone down the Hooray Henry contingent who don't really 'get it'. You'd still sell out easily. Lead the way!

Very good question! Actually the headliners don't cost as much as people think. We're having a fallow year … and it's very important. For the environment, for us. It's nothing to do with the headliners or anything like that.

Hooray Henrys do come. Well … city-type people who do the posh camping, in a field let my by neighbours. But it's private enterprise, working next to us. So it's nothing to do with us directly. We're fine with the common people!

Crikey. Specific to Bestival? In general … it depends on the festival. Nine years ago I was booking acts for £3,000 but Stevie Wonder is a lot of money. I know Michael gets good deals because everyone wants to play Glastonbury!

Well, we used to have Hawkwind and all that heavy stuff, and the Hell's Angels, but they did once set fire to my father's favourite horse drawn cart, and that upset me. So I've associated that music with that type of behaviour. But we have had acts like that, and I love a band like Rage Against the Machine. And I think we will soon book one of those big acts. We'll do it. Only not next year.

There are five of us. Me and Josie, my wife, and three other friends. There are no external partners. And I love that. Some mates can sit in a room and make the day to day decisions. I think there's an idea out there that we once sold some shares to other people, but it's not the case.

I own it myself, funnily enough. Go and look in Company's House. We do use Live Nation for some of the operational work and they hold the licence at the moment. But they're paid a fix fee. They don't own anything.

Having worked at Glasto, pre TV coverage era, and then more recently at Glasto, Bestival and the Big Chill, I am not alone in feeling that the festival industry has run out of ideas. Most punters who turn up seem happy to pay for a product that is more in line with mainstream culture. Festivals were originally an opportunity for attendees to participate in somethng almost sacred and certainly not franchisable! The only festy I've really enjoyed recently is the Green Man (run by former Chillers) which involves the local community and remains a size where punters don't feel irrelevant. So, my question is, when and how can the British public be tempted away from the current, hedonistic nature of mid-summer revellry and become involved with celebrations which truly value their contributions as much as those of the increasingly aged headline acts which they pay to see? Surely the paying public can be asked to do more than dress up and pass out!

Should festivals be more rooted in their local communities, is that the question? Well, we do have our Avalon field which is run by local people . But Glastonbury, I think, is good for the country as a whole, people know us all over the world. And we try and hammer home some political messages - about aid, the environment.

Bestival is on the Isle of Wight, so it feels quite homely! The remit was to use local crew, suppliers, staff, DJs even, acts … And Josie and I live there half the time. And as for the rest of the UK: there are umpteen brilliant little local festivals. But we Brits are a hedonistic race! We like socialising.

We don't have a flag culture at Bestival.. but I love them at Glastonbury! I can go for a wee in the middle of a performance and then find my way back to my mates.I wish we did have more, though I may live to regret saying that.

Emily and I have talked about it and we feel that on balance they provide a brilliant atmosphere. It's a problem for the TV crews than for people in the crowd, but it's the people in the crowd who we care about most ultimately.

The recorded music business is on the downturn, whilst the live market is growing. But as many have outlined, the festivals are starting to suffer as well. I'm wondering how do you think this can be addressed going forward. My question is for Rob: What do you think is the best way for those in the business to keep their festivals thriving?

I'm a founder of the Association of Independent Festivals, so this interests me. We were massively influenced by Glastonbury, but we had to forge our own thing. You need to hone and develop your ideas. It is tough. Even Glastonbury, I know, has sometimes struggled. You just can't second guess the public or be complacent.Research of ours says that 70 per cent of those who come to Bestival come for the vibe but I still do feel the need to bring in really big headliners. We need those acts and for people to feel like their getting their money's worth.

And to carry on again, and further to what Rob just said: the BBC have made a documentary about Shangri La and that whole area of the festival. 15 June, if I can just plug that! It's directed by Julien Temple. The point is: we're more than just the big headlining acts.

It's a scientific fact (ask Hawking, Dawkins, Cox etc.) that whether at a wedding, a funeral or just for the hell of it, proper Balkan gypsy music is the best music in the universe to dance and party to. So why do Bestival and Glastonbobby both have such bad records for getting bands like Taraf de Haidouks, Fanfare Ciocarlia and Boban Markovic on the bill? Bring on the brass and getcha some Guca! And Rob: please book the resurgent, triumphant Dexy's already!

Due to the ever increasing costs, for organisers and attendees, of putting on outdoor with camping festivals is the future of music festivals in the UK town and city centre festivals (I'll Be Your Mirror, Meltdown, Bloc) which are all about the music and small (less than 10,000 on site) un-commercialised festivals which are about the joy sharing a long week-end in the country-side with like minded people united by a love of live music? Why are tickets festivals in other european countries so much cheaper?

Well, for me, a festival involves a field, it involves camping. We're at the Great Escape in Brighton now, and it's lovely. But it's not what I think of when I think of what I really enjoy about festivals.

Europe: festivals there are really heavily sponsored. Also, bands are a lot cheaper - I don't know why. Possibly because the UK is such a prime market, and they charge a premium. A guy I know in Belgium laughs at the amount I have to pay for certain acts!

Hah! We could think about it. The site does look beautifui now without anyone there. The wheat looks incredible on the farm just now. And actually we do need more wheat production at the moment - there's a real shortage at the moment.

Michael, Do the non musician 'celebrities' who hang out in the backstage area have to buy tickets? do they have to go online like everyone else and hope for the best or do you have a 'luvvie' allocation?

I was wondering why you were so cross about The Wombles last year. Was it just because you think they're a silly novelty act? I can't help wondering if it's because Mike Batt is well known for supporting the Tories.

I didn't know that! But all the best bands in the world want to play at our place, and the Wombles smuggled themselves in without my knowledge! And everyone went on and on about it! I didn't watch them.. no way.

What will the next generation of Glastonbury toilets look, feel and smell like? P.S. Do you think it would be possible to ask people not to drop litter? I know you put a lot of effort into picking up rubbish, but why do people make such a mess in the first place and in such a beautiful place? This must be very upsetting.

Haha! We're working on the next generation of loos at the moment. That's the sort of thing that I love working on.It's a Mark 5 version of the original longdrop. It promises to be better. But heated seats, Rob is asking.. well, they do absorb the sunshine. They can get quite hot!

I have to go now. Thanks for all your questions. I hope to see you all down on the farm next year!

Why did you decide to theme each year and how do you make the choice? Do you take suggestions? If so, I would LOVE a Best of British theme - it makes me envisage iconic musicians to Henry VIII and everything in between. Go on....

It's one of those things we came up with to make us different from other festivals, and now it seems as if lots of other festivals do the same thing. This year, it's wildlife, so you could come as a squirrel. Or Oliver Reed. It all adds to the escapism. If you're dressed up, you'll have more fun.